If Rue hadn't died
by Catnip394
Summary: This is a fanfiction based on what would have happened if that spear had never had time to pierce Rue's body. Please read and review! If the reviews are good and it gets followers, I'll post the next chapter tomorrow (:
1. Chapter 1

"Katniss!" I scream. "Katniss! Help!"

"Rue!" comes Katniss' distant cry. Tears are streaming down my face now, as I lie here, alone, helpless, trapped. And then Katniss is there, and all is well.

But is it? As Katniss works to free me from the tangled net, I strain to pick out any sounds of approaching enemies.

"Look out!" I cry, as the District 1 boy hurtles out from behind a tree. Before I know what's happening, Katniss' arrow is embedded in his skull, and he slumps to the ground. The expression on his face is shocked, numb, disbelieving, as his fingers loosen on the spear he never had time to throw.

Katniss drops to her knees and draws her knife, sawing away at the net. Eventually, I am free, and she pulls me into a tight, warm hug. I feel so safe with her.

It's hard to believe she just killed someone.

"Did you blow up the food?" I ask her.

"Every bit," she replies, with a satisfied nod. A smile spreads across my face.

"We could go home." I whisper.

"We could." she agrees, slowly beginning to smile. But then the smile drops, and she looks at me, tears welling up in her eyes. Because "we" can not go home.

There can only be one winner.


	2. Chapter 2

_**I just wanted to say, that for some reason your reviews aren't showing up. However, they are being sent to my Email. Kid, no, the next chapters will be longer. The first one was short, to get people interested (:**_

I sit with Katniss, chewing a piece of groosling. We went hunting earlier, Katniss shooting grooslings while I foraged for nuts, roots and berries. I really think we have a chance in these Games.

As the sun sinks lower, I curl up close to Katniss, drinking in he body heat as I sit there, drowsy, my stomach pleasantly full.

Suddenly, I sit up straight and clutch her jacket.

Claudius Templesmith's voice rings through the Arena. He tells us that there has been a rule change.

He tells us that two can win.

Excitement shines in my eyes as I turn to Katniss with new hope.

"_We can both go home_," I whisper, disbelieving. But then the second part of the announcement sends my slowly rising spirits crashing back down. Yes, two can go home.

Two from the same District.

Katniss' anguish is evident in her eyes. I know what must happen. She must find Peeta, play the star-crossed lovers role, and get both of them home. So I know what I must do. Because I know that she won't.

Trembling, I pick up Katniss' discarded knife.

"I'm sorry," I say, so quietly that only the cameras can hear. Because I want my family to know that this was not an easy choice, but a choice I had to make.

But years of hunting have sharpened Katniss' ears to an unbelievable point. She whips round, sees what I am about to do, knows she's not close enough to stop me in time.

But one thing I hadn't counted on.

The speed with which the Girl on Fire can shoot an arrow.

As the arrow pierces my hand, I scream, dropping the knife. Katniss sprints over and pulls me into a tight hug.

"Never. Try. That. Again." She tells me, fiercely. I nod, tears burning in my eyes as I try to use my jacket to stem the steady stream of scarlet blood, flowing from my injured left hand. Katniss cuts off a strip of her jacket, wraps it tightly around my wound several times. I bite back the tears, and a silver parachute floats down.

In it, is a single, small loaf of bread, in the shape of a crescent moon, brown and sprinkled with tiny seeds. And the tears well up in my eyes once again, because this bread is from home.

I break it in half, offering half to my ally. She hesitates before accepting her half, obviously wondering how long this alliance can last. We chew on the bread in silence.

"And now," says Katniss, once we're finished, "We find Peeta and Thresh."


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm tired..." I mumble, clutching Katniss' arm as we fight our way through the tall grass.

"I know." she replies, soothingly.

We wander on through Thresh's domain, not wanting to cry out for fear of drawing in Cato and Clove. I just hope that Thresh doesn't take us for intruders.

"Stop." comes a deep voice. We freeze.

"Thresh?" I ask, nervously.

"I've been looking for you." He replies, gruffly. But I can see that his eyes are watery. I smile, run up to him and throw my arms around him. maybe I didn't know him that well, but he's from home. And now we can go home together.

And then I see Katniss, on the edge, a melancholy smile on her face. We all know that for us to go home, Katniss must die. The cruelty of it hits me like a shock. They are letting two of us win. But Katniss and I can't be those two. Neither can live while the other survives.

"And now, we find Peeta." I declare, firmly. Thresh raises his eyebrows, but says nothing.

We trek through the woods until we come to the river. Katniss cries out, pointing at the trail of dried blood. It does not bode well.

We follow the course of the river until, suddenly, I hear Katniss' scream, and a grunt of pain. She has trodden on Peeta's face.

"Peeta!" screams Katniss, tears of joy in her eyes. I shoot her a curious glance, and she blushes at her outburst.

Peeta sits up, caked in mud, grass and plants. We examine him carefully.

"Help me roll him into the river." Katniss decides. The three of us attempt to do as she says, but Peeta is in too much pain. Katniss' anguish is clear on her face. Maybe the star-crossed lovers act wasn't so much of an act after all...

I can see how much this is hurting her, see the pain and revulsion in her beautiful eyes. I immediately make a decision.

"Go and hunt." I order her. "I'll clean this up." She looks as though she wants to argue, but eventually just looks at me, gratefully. As she walks away, I'm sure I hear her mutter "Just like home." And is that a tear she wipes from her eye?

Hours later, Katniss arrives back with seven grooslings and two rabbits. I smile. My belly will be filled again tonight. Peeta's leg is bandaged in a strip of Thresh's jacket. Katniss examines the clean, bandaged Peeta, and drops to her knees, holding him tight. She then releases him and turns to me. I assume she's going to thank me. She doesn't.

"You're so much like Prim." Is all she manages.


	4. Chapter 4

We sit and eat next to the river. Thresh has a large supply of grain, that he has been using as a sort of oatmeal, mashed up with water and berries. We all take a small bowl of Thresh's oatmeal, two groosling legs, a groosling breast, and a handful of baked roots. Weirdly, this is the happiest I have ever been, with a full stomach and three friends.

We decide to follow the river, to find a better camp. Eventually, we come to a large cave. Katniss and Thresh inspect it, wile I support Peeta.

"You can come in!" calls Katniss.

Peeta hobbles into the cave, leaning on me for support. We lay him down on top of a sleeping bag. His fever is too high to put him inside.

Katniss mops his forehead with a piece of her jacket, dipped in purified water. He groans, clutching at her hand. And, slowly, she leans in and their lips meet.

She pulled away, shocked at what she just did. But Peeta murmurs something, pulling her in close and kissing her a second time.

"I love you, Katniss," he whispers through his fever. And I could swear I heard a muffled "I love you too."

Katniss catches my eye as she pulls away. I give her a cheeky grin and mouth "you could do worse". She smiles, and her lips form the words "but I couldn't do better".

And I reckon the audience saw, because a parachute floats through the mouth of the cave. I reach for it, and pull off the lid. A sharp needle. And clean, white thread. I gulp. Because I know what this is for, but I have never done it before. Or seen it done, for that matter.

I have to sew up Peeta's leg.

I see Katniss' eyes widen. She shakes her head.

"I have to do it." she whispers, "My mother is a healer. I can do it."

But she seems to be trying to reassure herself, more than me. I hand her the needle and thread, and she takes a deep breath, and rolls up Peeta's trouser leg.

The next few minutes are torture. We sit in silence, punctured only by Peeta's agonised screams. But it is worth it in the end. Because otherwise, Peeta would most likely have died.

The next day, we eat a small breakfast of oats and the dried fruit we found in District 1's backpack. The four of us pack up our supplies, because, now that Peeta can at least walk on his leg, we probably won't be coming back.

Katniss, Thresh and I can move as silently as foxes. But Peeta blunders around, scaring off the game.

"Okay." says Katniss, finally. "Peeta, stay here and gather with Rue. We can sing Rue's tune as a signal. I'll shoot, Thresh can kill it with the knife, and collect the game."

Peeta and I stay in the clearing, as Katniss and Thresh disappear off into the woods. Every so often, I hear Katniss' four notes, and sing mine back.

Suddenly, I hear a scream. A girl's scream. I jump up.

"Wait here!" I shout at Peeta, because he can't run with an injured leg like that. I sprint for the source of the noise. But it wasn't Katniss' scream.

Foxface runs out at me, terrified. It's a natural reaction; I do it without even thinking. I pull out my slingshot, and pick up a large stone, sending it crashing into her skull. A cannon booms.

To my relief, Thresh appears. I throw myself into his arms, sobbing. He was obviously chasing her. And... and I just killed her. With a slingshot. Just a slingshot.

She had a family to get back to. She just wanted to see them one last time. And thanks to me, she never will. So that leaves Cato, Clove, Thresh, Katniss, Peeta... and me.

And that's when the second cannon booms.


	5. Chapter 5

The four names rush through my head._ Katniss, Peeta, Cato, Clove_. If Katniss or Peeta died, Cato and Clove are coming. And we need to run. If Cato or Clove died, Katniss and Peeta are fighting them. And they need help.

I hesitate only for a second, before sprinting for the clearing. I sing my four notes, and, after a pause, Katniss' come echoing back. I sigh with relief. Katniss is alive. But for how long?

She, too, will have heard the cannon. Maybe she's fighting the careers right now. Maybe Peeta lies dead at her feet.

I race into the clearing, and run smack into Katniss, who comes hurtling from the other direction. We simultaneously leap to our feet, but I am the first to see it. I point, my face bleak, and Katniss turns.

Peeta lies on the forest floor, his hand and mouth stained with the purple juice of nightlock.

Katniss screams, a terrible scream, and then she is on her knees, shaking Peeta, calling his name, refusing to believe he is gone forever. He can't be gone, this strong, kind, sweet boy. He can't be gone. He just can't be.

And, when we eventually manage to prise Katniss from Peeta's cold, unmoving body, night has fallen. And as Thresh gently steers Katniss away, I take one last look at the boy with the bread. But this isn't Peeta. This is a body, a thing, a corpse with his face, his eyes reflecting the stars he cannot see.

Trembling with grief, I unzip his jacket, and slice his T-shirt open. I squeeze the berries, and dip my small, slim fingers into the purple juice. I painstakingly trace each letter until, finally, written across his chest are the words "You don't own me."

"Goodbye, Peeta." I whisper. And, tears flowing freely down my cheeks, I press my three middle fingers to my lips, and hold them out for all of Panem to see. I want to show the Capitol that they don't own him. Something he never had the chance to do.


	6. Chapter 6

I walk away from Peeta's clearing, my head bowed, numbly placing one foot in front of the other. Even if they cut out the footage of me painting those words on his chest, they'll have to show it when they collect his body. And, after watching Katniss being lead away by Thresh, they'll know I did it.

So who's left now? Thresh, Katniss, Cato and Clove. Thresh and Cato, tall, strong and muscled, unstoppable, unbeatable. Clove, with her sharp knives that never miss. Katniss, with her deadly, long-range, lightning-fast arrows. And me. Little old me. With a talent for jumping from trees, and a slingshot. I have no chance. I guess I never did. I guess I knew that all along.

But I hold my head high and fight back the tears as I reach the cave. Katniss needs me. And she's the one person in these Games that I feel really cares about me.

I walk over to her, without a word, and throw my arms around her shaking body. She doesn't try to fight me. She slumps against the cave wall, her eyes shining with tears. Because she's alone, now. More alone than ever. I have Thresh. Cato has Clove. She has no one.

"Attention, tributes!" comes Claudius Templesmith's voice. I listen carefully as he invites us to a feast. He tells us that whether or not we get our item will mean the difference between life and death for each one of us.

"Rue, stay here." orders Katniss. "Cato and Clove will be at the feast. You'll be safe here." I start to object, but then I see the tears, still shining in her eyes, and realise that she's not worried for me. She's worried for herself. And just how alone she'd be if she lost me too.

I hesitate, then nod.

I wait in the cave for maybe half and hour before I hear the cannon. I can't take it any more. I have to know what's happening, and whose death caused that shot.

I run as fast as my legs will carry me. Finally, I reach the clearing where the Cornucopia shines brightly. Cato lies on the grass, dead, with an arrow in his back. Thresh and Katniss stand by the Cornucopia, examining the 20 or so backpacks. By the paper in Thresh's hand, I'm guessing the Gamemakers left some kind of puzzle. Most likely one where the wrong decision means your imminent death.

I hear a noise, coming from my left. I carefully scale the nearest tree, and peer through the leafy boughs. I'm just in time to see the knife leave Cloves hand. And fly towards Katniss. Clove's knives never miss. Clove's knives never fail to kill.

Katniss turns in time to hear my anguished scream.


	7. Chapter 7

Several things happen, seemingly all at once.

Katniss's eyes widen in realisation as she hears my scream and sees the blur of silver. Clove turns and runs. Thresh pushes Katniss out of the way of the knife. The knife enters Thresh's body. I scream Thresh's name, but it's too late, and Katniss is sobbing, dropping to her knees, and I am running, screaming, tears running down my cheeks. Because Thresh is dead. And I am alone. More alone than ever.

"He's dead." I sob, my tears dripping onto Thresh's lifeless body.

"No, he's not." whispers Katniss. I turn on her, angry.

"Katniss, he's dead! Stop lying to me. He's dead, and it's your fault!" I scream, mad with grief for a boy I never really knew. I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth, but I can't take them back now. I stare at her, helplessly.

"No cannon." she tells me, coldly. I gape at her. She's right. What did I just say?

"I'm sorry." I plead. She sighs, and holds out her arms, enveloping me in a warm hug. We break apart, and Katniss gently touches Thresh's arm. He stirs.

"Why?" she demands, tears burning in her eyes. "Why did you save me?"

"I didn't want to owe you." whispers Thresh, opening his eyes a fraction. Katniss doesn't protest. She nods once.

"And now, I will never stop owing you." she says, quietly. Thresh shakes his head very slightly.

"The first favour is always the hardest to pay off." are his last words. And we hear the cannon shot.

Not long now. The Gamemakers will want us to fight Clove sooner rather than later. Either way, today I escape the arena.

We sit next to the lake, and open our backpacks. Katniss' contains a small rectangle, wrapped in brown paper. She unwraps it briefly, then shoves it back in, tears in her eyes. I decide not to ask what it is.

Mine contains... a pebble. It's about the size of an apple, perfectly round. The words "If they can't catch me, they can't kill me" are carefully carved into the stone. I smile despite myself. But what use is a pebble in the Hunger Games?

"What... what did Thresh mean? What happened?" I ask, timidly. Katniss sighs.

"Thresh ran to get the backpacks, while I hid on the edge of the forest, ready to shoot Cato and Clove if they ran for theirs. Cato crept up behind Thresh, and I shot him." She says, flatly. And now I understand. If Thresh had let Katniss die, after she saved his life, he would never stop owing her.

Just as Katniss will never stop owing Peeta.


	8. Chapter 8

"This is it." Says Katniss, flatly. I look up from examining my stone. "Either way, today is the day we escape the arena forever."

"I guess." I reply, worried. Because what chance do I have against the Girl on Fire and the Girl with the Knives? I'm just me. I'm just Rue. "But I made it this far." I whisper.

"What did you say?" Asks Katniss, looking up.

"Nothing."

We gather up our supplies, and head to the lake. We climb the Cornucopia, and finish off the remaining six pieces of groosling. I carefully divide up the District 1 boy's dried fruit, and we chew on it in silence. Because what can you say to a person who is either about to die, or let you die?

Suddenly, we hear a girl's scream. Piercing and high-pitched. Earsplitting. I crane my neck to see what has happened to force that sound out of Clove, who is usually so difficult to scare.

And then I see them. Mutts. And there are 21. One for each dead tribute. Here to kill two more. And, as they draw closer, I realise just how human their eyes are. But one pair of eyes haunts me more than the others. Beautiful blue eyes; in life, so trusting, in death, so full of hatred. For me, and what I have done to him. That I am alive, when he should be. Peeta Mellark's blue, blue eyes glare up at me.

"Katniss." I manage to force out, my voice shaking. But I know that she has seen them too. I know that she has looked into the eyes that she had thought were gone forever. And tears burn in her own.

"I know, Rue." she whispers. "I know."

Clove is running towards us, inhuman terror twisting her once-pretty features. And then she is climbing the Cornucopia, the mutts leaping and snapping at her flailing legs, determined not to be cheated out of their revenge. And fury smolders in their eyes, so familiar.

"Can they climb it?" gasps Clove, hauling herself up onto the Cornucopia. Katniss shakes her head, and, as Clove fights to regain her breath, draws her bow. But Clove is prepared. She runs at Katniss, and is soon too close to be shot. She twists her arm around Katniss' neck.

"I go down," she pants, "she goes with me."

I feel so helpless as Katniss struggles against Clove's strong arms. If our positions were reversed, an arrow in the hand would be all Katniss would need, to force Clove to release me. But I am not Katniss. I am just Rue. Weak, helpless little Rue, who can't throw knives, can't shoot arrows, but instead relies on a slingshot and more talented allies. But now, I can't hide behind another. Now, I have to make do with what I have.

Even my slingshot could have saved us, if only there had been stones on top of this cruel, metal horn. Stones. A stone.

And suddenly, my stone feels heavy in my pocket.

Clove's eyes widen as the stone smashes into her hand. She instinctively releases Katniss, and I see fear flash through her eyes, and then she is falling, falling, fallen. Dying. Because of me. Little Rue. And my little stone.

"What did they give you?" I ask Katniss, tentatively. "They knew what they were doing with my stone. Maybe it can help us?"

She shakes her head, trembling, tears running down her grimy cheeks as she hands me a photo. The girl in the photo is about my age, but blonde and pale, with blue eyes full of tears, clutching a mangy yellow cat. And, somehow, I know that this is Prim.

"The reason I have to go home." croaks Katniss. "The only thing that could give me the strength to kill you."


	9. Chapter 9

Katniss' eyes harden with resolution.

"But it won't work." she says, coldly.

I stare at her, tears in my eyes. It would be so easy for her to kill me right now. I'm helpless. I'm innocent. I'm weak. And she is Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire. The girl who can shoot an arrow so fast I wouldn't even know I'd died. The girl who never misses.

But the girl I know won't kill me. Can't kill me.

"Katniss." I whisper. "Kill me. Before it's too late." She ignores me.

"When you're on the Victory Tour." She says, quietly. "Tell Prim I'm sorry. Tell her I love her. She'll understand. And... and give her this."

Her voice breaks as she hands me the Mockingjay pin. I close my fist around it, hold it tightly, as if it is Katniss' life, and as long as I hold on to it, she can't die. But I know what she's going to do. And I know that I can't stop her.

"I will." I whisper. I could stop her. I could throw myself into the mass of mutts below. But I have never been brave like Katniss. I have never had her strength. And now, even in the face of her death, I can't bring myself to save her. I hate myself for it, but I don't want to die. Not yet. Not now.

And then Katniss is falling, tumbling through the night air, into the hungry sea of mutts. But no screams pierce the air. Katniss remains, in her own way, undefeated.

And tears are burning in my eyes, the pin is sharp in my palm, blood is trickling down my hand, but none of this matters, because Katniss is dying. And I could have saved her. If I had only been brave like this wonderful girl, determined to save me. Determined not to let me down. But I have let her down. Because here I am, standing here, watching as she dies.

And then I realise. I can still do it. I can still save her. They must have a Victor, and she is not yet dead. Trembling, I dig my hand into my pocket, and draw out the purple berries I kept secret from my allies. Before, I wouldn't have even considered falling at this final hurdle, with victory so near. I wish I could see my family one last time, tell them I love them, because somehow all the times I told them weren't enough. But Katniss is all that matters now. Katniss is the reason I must die.

My hands shaking, I slip the Mockingjay pin onto my shirt, right over my heart. I sing my four notes, to let Katniss know that I'm okay. That I want to do this. Have to. The mockingjays take up the song. When I die, I want there to be music. Familiar music. That way, I can pretend I'm still at home, safe and happy.

Katniss won't see this right now, but she will when they replay the footage, once she's the Victor. I press my three middle fingers to my lips, and hold them out to her. A final goodbye to the Girl on Fire.

The tart berries are the last thing I taste.


	10. Chapter 10

**Well, I hope you enjoyed my story :3**  
**Thanks so much for the amazing reviews, and to all of you who followed and favorited my story. If you liked it, I'm currently writing a story about the very first Quarter Quell; I'd love it if you could read it and review like you did for this one? Thanks again for your support in writing this 3**


End file.
